A thin film electroluminescent (TFEL) panel is comprised of thin phosphor, insulator, and electrode layers or films deposited on a glass substrate in a multilayer structure. The electrode in contact with the glass substrate must be transparent for viewing. The electrode can be tin oxide or indium oxide or preferably a mixture of indium and tin oxides (ITO). It is the first layer or film deposited in panel fabrication and is patterned into columns. The result is a step at the edge of the ITO columns whose height depends on the thickness of the ITO film. Observation of panel failure reveals that it is associated with the step edges of the ITO columns. This is due both to structural defects that occur in the films over the step edge, and to an enhanced electric field effect caused by the closer proximity of the top and bottom electrodes along the sidewall. Due to these factors, the typical ITO thickness is about 0.25 micron, and step edge breakdown is the major panel failure mode. The limitation on ITO thickness imposes a major barrier for large area displays since the high electrical resistance of the electrode causes a voltage drop and non-uniform brightness along the electrode line.